“Nothing?” Frenzy asked, as he held his phone to his ear, obviously waiting for someone to answer his call.
“Nope. Just the one place these three were hiding and the weapons they dropped, which are mine now.”
“And they got clay all over my damn car. You know I’m going to hear about that shit, right?” Savage complained.
“Yeah, but nice move with the clay. It kept any heat signatures from showing up on the thermals Valor was running.Damn good idea,” Frenzy said. “I’ll have to…” he held up a finger as he switched his attention to the phone he was holding and put it on speaker. “Hello, my dear perfect One and leader.”
“The fuck you want now?” Lethal asked.
“I have in my very own possession three newly freed Variant males. Well, mine and Savage’s, but that’s not the point. There are at least another sixteen of them in captivity by our count, there could be more. They’re ready to tell you where to find their friends. And they’re pretty insistent it gets done before their handlers find out they’re missing and start killing the others.”
“Sonofabitch! Great work, Frenzy. Where am I going?” Lethal asked.
“Missouri. I’ll send you the address where I’m standing and you can… you know what? We’re driving, not flying, you’ll be here before we even get halfway back. Let me see what I can do, hang on. Hey, you boys got coordinates, or you just waiting for somebody to come get you?”
“Both,” Two said.
“Rattle off the coordinates of where my people are going to free your friends, my dude,” Frenzy said, holding his phone out.
Two recited coordinates, twice.
“Got it. Valor is pulling it up. We’re on our way. We’ll be there within the hour.”
“And I just gotta tell you, they ain’t trained like we were. These might be some newly created Variant, but they definitely don’t have the focus and the kill everything attitude that we do,” Frenzy said.
“We’ll handle it. When you get back here, lay low and unwind for a while. When we get back, we’re going back into regular rotation. We’ll be busy, so prepare yourself,” Lethal said.
“Ehhh, much respect my friend, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. At least not now,” Frenzy said.
There was a pause on the line. “The fuck does that mean?”
“I’m done,” Frenzy said.
“You going to make me have to train another goddamn team member! Damn it, Frenzy!” Lethal yelled angrily.
“There are so many males that could fill that slot. Pick one. It’s not a big deal, Lethal.”
“It is a big goddamn deal! Not everybody fits with our team! We’re unique, and specialized! And hate all of the fucking bullshit!”
“Come on, just say it. You love me. And you’re all a little nuts, which is why I fit so well. But that’s not the point. Don’t worry, I may come visit, but I’m out, Lethal. I’m done, for now at least. Call me if you need me and I’ll be happy to step in — temporarily. But my life isn’t this anymore. I’ll never forget you, Lethal. Much respect my friend. Give Nina a squeeze for me, yeah? Take care.”
Frenzy ended the call, then realized the two males they’d just rescued were sitting in the Suburban surrounded by Savage’s team, all of them staring at him wide-eyed.
“What?” Frenzy barked out. “I’m tired of fucking doing this! I just want to float in a pool every day and drink some fucking mimosas, if that’s okay with you!”
“That was One,” Two said. “The One. I know his voice.”
Frenzy smirked. “Yes, it was. And apparently, you were trained on his tapes — though not well — to be on his level as all of us were. Some of us even trained with him, fighting against him and his team. Only now, his name is Lethal, and he’s the baddest motherfucker you ever did or will meet. So much worse than when he was captive. And if you were trained on his tapes, meant to be like him, to be like us, what the hell was all that?” Frenzy demanded, pointing out to the field. “We’d have never given up. Fight to the death, we were told, not lay in the damn dirt, let somebody get the jump on us and just throw down our weapons. Damn! Have some pride, people!”
“We are ready for freedom,” Two said, not bothering to defend their actions.
Frenzy sighed, nodding his understanding. “Yeah, I get that. Me, too.”
“We were told all One’s were dead. Even him,” Five said.
“You were lied to my friend. Tell ‘em Savage,” Frenzy said.
“How about first you tell me what the fuck you meant with that shit you told Lethal?” Savage demanded.
